spoken　to　me　of　his　projects　respecting　Alessandria；　as　I　have　already
  observed；　all　his　great　measures　as　Emperor　were　merely　the　execution　of
  projects　conceived　at　a　time　when　his　future　elevation　could　have　been
  only　a　dream　of　the　imagination。　　He　one　day　said　to　Berthier；　in　my
  presence；　during　our　sojurn　at　Milan　after　the　battle　of　Marengo；　〃With
  Alessandria　in　my　possession　I　should　always　be　master　of　Italy。　　It
  might　be　made　the　strongest　fortress　in　the　world；　it　is　capable　of
  containing　a　garrison　of　40；000　men；　with　provisions　for　six　months。
  Should　insurrection　take　place；　should　Austria　send　a　formidable　force
  here；　the　French　troops　might　retire　to　Alessandria；　and　stand　a　six
  months'　siege。　　Six　months　would　be　more　than　sufficient；　wherever　I
  might　be；　to　enable　me　to　fall　upon　Italy；　rout　the　Austrians；　and
  raise　the　siege　of　Alessandria！〃
  As　he　was　so　near　the　field　of　Marengo　the　Emperor　did　not　fail　to　visit
  it；　and　to　add　to　this　solemnity　he　reviewed　on　the　field　all　the　corps
  of　French　troops　which　were　in　Italy。　　Rapp　told　me　afterwards　that　the
  Emperor　had　taken　with　him　from　Paris　the　dress　and　the　hat　which　he　wore
  on　the　day　of　that　memorable　battle；　with　the　intention　of　wearing　them
  on　the　field　where　it　was　fought。　　He　afterwards　proceeded　by　the　way　of
  Casal　to　Milan。
  There　the　most　brilliant　reception　he　had　yet　experienced　awaited　him。
  His　sojourn　at　Milan　was　not　distinguished　by　outward　demonstrations　of
  enthusiasm　alone。　　M。　Durszzo；　the　last　Doge　of　Genoa；　added　another　gem
  to　the　Crown　of　Italy　by　supplicating　the　Emperor　in　the　name　of　the
  Republic；　of　which　he　was　the　representative；　to　permit　Genoa　to　exchange
  her　independence　for　the　honour　of　becoming　a　department　of　France。　　This
  offer；　as　may　be　guessed；　was　merely　a　plan　contrived　beforehand。　　It　was
  accepted　with　an　air　of　protecting　kindness；　and　at　the　same　moment　that
  the　country　of　Andrea　Doria　was　effaced　from　the　list　of　nations　its　last
  Doge　was　included　among　the　number　of　French　Senators。　　Genoa；　which
  formerly　prided　herself　in　her　surname；　the　Superb；　became　the　chief
  station　of　the　twenty…seventh　military　division。　　The　Emperor　went　to
  take　possession　of　the　city　in　person；　and　slept　in　the　Doria　Palace；　in
  the　bed　where　Charles　V。　had　lain。　　He　left　M。　le　Brun　at　Genoa　as
  Governor…General。
  At　Milan　the　Emperor　occupied　the　Palace　of　Monza。　　The　old　Iron　Crown　of
  the　Kings　of　Lombardy　was　brought　from　the　dust　in　which　it　had　been
  buried；　and　the　new　Coronation　took　place　in　the　cathedral　at　Milan；　the
  largest　in　Italy；　with　the　exception　of　St。　Peter's　at　Rome。　　Napoleon
  received　the　crown　from　the　hands　of　the　Archbishop　of　Milan；　and　placed
  it　on　his　head；　exclaiming；　〃Dieu　me　l'a　donnee；　gare　a　qui　la　touche。〃
  This　became　the　motto　of　the　Order　of　the　Iron　Crown；　which　the　Emperor
  founded　in　commemoration　of　his　being　crowned　King　of　Italy。
  Napoleon　was　crowned　in　the　month　of　May　1805：　and　here　I　cannot　avoid
  correcting　some　gross　and　inconceivable　errors　into　which　Napoleon　must
  have　voluntarily　fallen　at　St。　Helena。　　The　Memorial　states　〃that　the
  celebrated　singer　Madame　Grasaini　attracted　his　attention　at　the　time　of
  the　Coronation。〃　　Napoleon　alleges　that　Madame　Grassini　on　that　occasion
  said　to　him；　〃When　I　was　in　the　prime　of　my　beauty　and　talent　all　I
  wished　was　that　you　would　bestow　a　single　look　upon　me。　　That　wish　was
  not　fulfilled；　and　now　you　notice　me　when　I　am　no　longer　worthy　your
  attention。〃
  I　confess　I　am　at　a　loss　to　conceive　what　could　induce　Napoleon　to　invent
  such　a　story。　　He　might　have　recollected　his　acquaintance　with　Madame
  Grassini　at　Milan　before　the　battle　of　Marengo。　　It　was　in　1800；　and　not
  in　1805；　that　I　was　first　introduced　to　her；　and　I　know　that　I　several
  times　took　tea　with　her　and　Bonaparte　in　the　General's　apartments　I
  remember　also　another　circumstance；　which　is；　that　on　the　night　when　I
  awoke　Bonaparte　to　announce　to　him　the　capitulation　of　Genoa；　Madame
  Grassini　also　awoke。　　Napoleon　was　charmed　with　Madame　Grasaini's
  delicious　voice；　and　if　his　imperious　duties　had　permitted　it　he　would
  have　listened　　with　ecstasy　to　her　singing　for　hours　together。　　Whilst
  Napoleon　was　at　Milan；　priding　himself　on　his　　double　sovereignty；　some
  schemes　were　set　on　foot　at　Vienna　and　St。　Petersburg　which　I　shall
  hereafter　have　occasion　to　notice。　　The　Emperor；　indeed；　gave　cause　for
  just　complaint　by　the　fact　of　annexing　Genoa　to　the　　Empire　within　four
  months　after　his　solemn　declaration　to　the　Legislative　Body；　in　which　he
  pledged　himself　in　the　face　of　France　and　Europe　not　to　seek　any
  aggrandisement　of　territory。　　The　pretext　of　a　voluntary　offer　on　the
  part　of　Genoa　was　too　absurd　to　deceive　any　one。　　The　rapid　progress　of
  Napoleon's　ambition　could　not　escape　the　observation　of　the　Cabinet　of
  Vienna；　which　began　to　allow　increased　symptoms　of　hostility。　　The　change
  which　was　effected　in　the　form　of　the　Government　of　the　Cisalpine
  Republic　was　likewise　an　act　calculated　to　excite　remonstrance　on　the
  part　of　all　the　powers　who　were　not　entirely　subject　to　the　yoke　of
  France。　　He　disguised　the　taking　of　Genoa　under　the　name　of　a　gift；　and
  the　possession　of　Italy　under　the　appearance　of　a　mere　change　of
  denomination。　　Notwithstanding　these　flagrant　outrages　the　exclusive
  apologists　of　Napoleon　have　always　asserted　that　he　did　not　wish　for　war；
  and　he　himself　maintained　　that　assertion　at　St。　Helena。　　It　is　said　that
  he　was　always　attacked；　and　hence　a　conclusion　is　drawn　in　favour　of　his
  love　of　peace。　　I　acknowledge　Bonaparte　would　never　have　fired　a　single
  musket…shot　if　all　the　powers　of　Europe　had　submitted　to　be　pillaged　by
  him　one　after　the　other　without　opposition。　　It　was　in　fact　declaring　war
  against　them　to　place　them　under　the　necessity　of　breaking　a　peace；
  during　the　continuance　of　which　he　was　augmenting　his　power；　and
  gratifying　his　ambition；　as　if　in　defiance　of　Europe。　　In　this　way
  Napoleon　commenced　all　the　wars　in　which　he　was　engaged；　with　the
  exception　of　that　which　followed　the　peace　of　Marengo；　and　which
  terminated　in　Moreau's　triumph　at　Hohenlinden。　　As　there　was　no　liberty
  of　the　press　in　France　he　found　it　easy　to　deceive　the　nation。　　He　was　in
  fact　attacked；　and　thus　he　enjoyed　the　pleasure　of　undertaking　his　great
  military　expeditions　without　being　responsible　in　the　event　of　failure。
  During　the　Emperor's　stay　in　the　capital　of　the　new　kingdom　of　Italy　he
  received　the　first　intelligence　of　the　dissatisfaction　of　Austria　and
  Russia。　　That　dissatisfaction　was　not　of　recent　date。　　When　I　entered　on
  my　functions　at　Hamburg　I　learned　some　curious　details　（which　I　will
  relate　in　their　proper　place）　respecting　the　secret　negotiations　which
  had　been　carried　on　for　a　considerable　time　previously　to　the
  commencement　of　hostilities。　　Even　Prussia　was　no　stranger　to　the
  dissatisfaction　of　Austria　and　Russia；　I　do　not　mean　the　King；　but　the
  Cabinet　of　Berlin；　which　was　then　under　the　control　of　Chancellor
  Hardenberg；　for　the　King　of　Prussia　had　always　personally　declared
  himself　in　favour　of　the　exact　observance　of　treaties；　even　when　their
  conditions　were　not　honourable。　　Be　that　as　it　may；　the　Cabinet　of
  Berlin；　although　dissatisfied　in　1806　with　the　rapid　progress　of
  Napoleon's　ambition；　was　nevertheless　constrained　to　conceal　its
  discontent；　owing　to　the　presence　of　the　French　troops　in　Hanover。
  On　returning　from　Milan　the　Emperor　ordered　the　erection；　of　a　monument
  on　the　Great　St。　Bernard　in　commemoration　of　the　victory　of　Marengo。
  M。　Denon　who　accompanied　Napoleon；　told　me　that　he　made　a　use　less　search
  to　discover　the　body　of　Desaix；　which　Bonaparte　wished　to　be　buried
  beneath　the　monument　and　that　it　was　at　length　found　by　General　Savary。
  It　is　therefore　certain　that　the　ashes　of　the　brave　Desaix　repose　on　the
  summit　of　the　Alps。
  The　Emperor　arrived　in　Paris　about　the　end　of　June　and　instantly　set　off
  for　the　camp　at　Boulogne。　　It　was　now　once　more　believed　that　the　project
  of　invading　England　would　be　accomplished。　　This　idea　obtained　the
  greater　credit　because　Bonaparte　caused　some　experiments　for　embarkation
  to　be　made；　in　his　presence。　　These　experiments；　however；　led　to　no
  result。　　About　this　period　a　fatal　event　but　too　effectually　contributed
  to　strengthen　the　opinion　of　the　inferiority　of　our　navy。　　A　French
  squadron　consisting　of　fifteen　ships；　fell　in　with　the　English　fleet
  commanded　by　Admiral　Calder；　who　had　only　nine　vessels　under　his　command；
  and　in　an　engagement；　which　there　was　every　reason　to　expect　would
  terminate　in　our　favour；　we　had　the　misfortune　to　lose　two　ships。　　The
  invasion　of　England　was　as　little　the　object　of　this　as　of　the　previous
  journey　to　Boulogne；　all　Napoleon　had　in　view　was　to　stimulate　the
  enthusiasm　of　the　troops；　and　to　hold　out　those　threats　against　England
  when　conceived　necessary　for　diverting　attention　from　the　real　motive　of
  his　hostile　preparations；　which　was　to　invade　Germany　and　repulse　the
  Russian　troops；　who　had　begun　their　march　towards　Austria。　　Such　was　the
  true　object　of　Napoleons　last　journey　to　Boulogne。
  I　had　been　some　time　at　Hamburg　when　these　events　took　place；　and　it